Detection Of Th17、Treg Cells And IL-17、IL-23 Levels In Children With Henoch-Schonlein Purpura

OBJECTIVE:To study the changes of Th17、Treg cells and IL-17、IL-23 levels at acute phase and recovery phase in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura(HSP) in order to further understanding the immunological pathogenesis and providing help for the treating of HSP.METHODS:The vein blood samples were collected from 35 children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura and 30 normal children. The proportion of Th17 cells and regulatory T cells were tested by Flow CytoMetry and concentration of IL-17 and IL-23 in plasma was tested by ELISA.RESULTS:Compared with normal children, the percentage of Th17 cells was in increase, and the percentage of Treg cells was in decrease, and the ratio of Th17/Treg cells was in increase at acute phase of children with HSP (P<0.01). At recovery phase, the percentage of Th17 cells was in decrease compared with the acute phase, but still higher than the normal children, the percentage of Treg cells was in increase compared with the acute phase, but still lower than the normal children. and the ratio of Th17/Treg cells was in decrease compared with the acute phase, but still higher than the normal children (P<0.01). Among the simplex, abdominal and orther type in children with HSP, Th17 cells percentage and Th17/Treg cells ratio were in increase in turn (P>0.05), but Treg cells percentage was in decrease gradually (P>0.05). Compared with the normal children, the levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were in increase at acute phase of children with HSP (P<0.01). Compared with the acute phase, the levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were in decrease at recovery phase of children with HSP, but still higher than the normal children (P<0.05). Among the simplex, abdominal and orther type in children with HSP, the levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were in increase (P>0.05). At acute phase of children with HSP, Th17 cells percentage had positively correlated with IL-17 levels (r=0.880,P<0.01), IL-23 levels had positively correlated with Th17 cells percentage and IL-17 levels (r=0.838 and 0.877, P<0.01).CONCLUSION:1. The percentage of Th17 cells in children with HSP increased and the percentage of Treg cell decreased, and the ratio of Th17/Treg cells increased, the cellular immune dysfunction exists in children with HSP.2. The ratio of Th17/Treg cells is lower at the recovery phase than at acute phase of children with HSP, the ratio of Th17/Treg cells may be used to evaluate the phase of the disease.3. The increase levels of IL-23 and IL-17 suggest that there are some cytokines disorder in children with HSP.4. The levels of Th17, Treg cells, IL-17 and IL-23 has no significant difference among simplex, abdominal and orther types, but need to further researches.